Blackpool Grand Theatre, the premier venue for shows in Blackpool have created six illustrations to highlight technology and advancements we can expect to see in a modern-day theatre environment over the next five years. The theatre, who are leading the charge in the advancements of the theatre industry are beginning to explore and implement automated technology into the theatre to heighten the customer experience when the industry sets to return.
Six illustrations detailing the future of theatre:
- An audience of people in a theatre setting holding and looking at their phone, with the show about to start, and their phones all displaying the same message: “It is time to mute your phone and dim the screen”.
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre) - A family sat in a lounge watching a theatre production from the comfort of their home
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre) - Interval notifications – Someone standing in a theatre looking at a television screen which shows a bar heatmap based on card transactions allowing customers to choose quietest bars in the intervals.
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre) - Two people looking at one mobile screen and choosing their drinks to order from their seats
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre) - A row of seats with people in them accept one empty chair that has an A5 personalised birthday message from the chief executive to the customer
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre) - Consumer booking their theatre tickets through Alexa
(source: The Blackpool Grand Theatre)
Blackpool Grand Theatre is placing a significant amount of importance on developing its IT systems, which include enhancing its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Audience Data year-on-year, with the theatre having just completed a five year aim to align all of its programmes to integrate, from the moment they put something on social media through to the customer attending the theatre by utilising AI software. Doing this successfully will increase the customer experience, raising more online reviews and gaining insightful customer feedback for the theatre and the industry to come.
Through using audience data and putting customer experience at the forefront of the advancements, theatregoers in the future can expect to easily book tickets from home using devices such as Alexa, simply asking “Alexa, book me two tickets to see the Lion King at The Blackpool Grand Theatre on Friday”, with Alexa replying: “Yes, no problem – would you like your prefered seats which are available?”. Showgoers will also be able to receive notifications during the interval which show them the quietest bars to visit for a quick drink or snack stop using heat map technology.
If that wasn’t enough, technology is gearing towards sending theatregoers a text, rather than a tannoy message, before the start of a show which will notify them to ‘mute their phones and dim their screens’.